Andy Buckley-Taylor

Derby County return to action this weekend with a trip to Hillsborough to face an underperforming Sheffield Wednesday side that has so far been disappointing.

As with the nature of the Championship though we cannot just go there and expect to come away with any points.

What we need to see from the Derby side is a response to the 3-0 drubbing we suffered from Aston Villa.

How we respond will be important as we were given a real footballing lesson in the second half of the Villa game.

Manager Frank Lampard still has a few players who aren’t yet up to full match fitness.

Mason Mount, Craig Bryson and Martyn Waghorn should be nearing a return to action, but whether this weekend is going to be too early remains to be seen. George Evans is still probably not yet ready.

Craig Forsyth now looks like missing the rest of the season after sustaining yet another ACL tear and Mason Bennett will not be back anytime soon either.

It was when Bennett left the pitch injured against Aston Villa that we seemed to lose any sort of attacking threat.

Once Bryson and Mount return to action, players like Duane Holmes and Harry Wilson can return to their more natural roles on the wings.

Both have done ok in midfield, but you can’t beat having a player in their proper position.

Jayden Bogle had his worse game last time out and it’s only to. Be expected that at his young age he will have some games where experience will be lacking in coming up against more seasoned pro’s! It’ll be interesting to see if Lampard sticks with him or gives Andre Wisdom a run out at Right Back.

Scott Malone will be expected to take the Left Back place now that Forsyth has joined Marcus Olsson on the treatment table. Our only other player for that position, Max Lowe, is currently out on loan at Aberdeen but he can be recalled in January.

The central defensive places are causing much debate as to which pair out of Richard Keogh, Curtis Davies and Fikayo Tomori should start. All three have merit so it’s anyones guess who the boss will go with.